Collapsible tube cap holder



June 4, 1940. G. w. SCHUMAKER COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CAP HOLDER Filed July 29, 1939 JAN/EN T0,? GEORGE W Sam/MA A/E/P,

flrro/P/vz r5 IIIIIIIIIIII Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to means interchangeably employed in conjunction with collapsible tubes such as tubes containing shaving cream, tooth paste, etc., for the purpose of receiving and holding the tube closure cap so as to prevent loss of the cap by dropping it on the floor or the like when the cap is removed from the tube receiving nipple.

An important advantage of my invention is that the device may be readily removed from an empty tube and attached to a filled tube so that it may be used over and over again. A further advantage of the invention is that it is embodied in a unit that may be separated from the tube rather than having to be incorporated as a part of the tube when the tube is made.

A further important advantage of the invention is that the cap is positively removed and rigidly retained in the removed position by engagement within a housing that is rockably attached to a second member in turn detachably secured to the tube. The invention may be employed throughout a wide range of tube nipple threads and nipple lengths as will hereinafter be more 25 fully explained.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a structure embodying the invention as applied in a closed position to a tube;

Fig. 2, a similar view in partial section with 35 the cap removed from the tube;

Fig. 3, a side elevation 90 degrees from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and showing the cap housing rocked to one side;

Fig. 4, a central vertical section through the structure embodying the invention in modified form;

Fig. 5, a top plan view of the modified form;

Fig. 6, a central vertical section of a further modified form. of cap and housing; and

Fig. '7, a central vertical section of the form shown in Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

I form a cup-like housing l0 internally threaded and having two extending, diametrically opposed legs H and 12. These legs may be separately made and attached to the housing ill but are herein shown as constituting integral parts of the housing. The lower end of each leg II and I2 is turned inwardly one toward the other to enter bores formed in opposite sides of a ferrule I3. In the form herein shown, the bores are carried in bosses l4 and I5 and the inturned ends of the legs H and i2 are rockably carried within those bosses so that the housing I0 may be rocked over the end of the ferrule l3 and to either side as desired.

The ferrule l3 has a slightly concave under surface and its internal bore is screw-threaded, preferably tapered from a larger diameter at the under side to a smaller diameter at the top end. The external periphery of the ferrule I3 is also threaded. The internal threads of the ferrule I 3 are formed to fit approximately the threads "5 appearing on the outside of the tube nipple l1. Since the nipple I1 is generally made out of a comparatively soft metal, and the ferrule I3 is internally tapered, these internal threads will engage the threads I6 when the ferrule 63 is screwed thereover to permit the under face of the ferrule [3 to be brought down snugly against the end of the tube l8 regardless of the exact conformation of one set of threads with the other. The vertical height of the ferrule I3 is made to be equal at least tothe length of the longest nipple I! normally found on the tube I8. In the form herein shown, Fig. 2, the nipple I! is slightly shorter than the ferrule iii.

A cap I9 is formed to screw-threadedly engage over the external threads of the ferrule l3 and carries a knurled peripheral surface 20 to be engaged by the operators thumb and fingers as a means for turning the cap either to seat it on the ferrule or to remove it. The surface 20, of course, may be varied in design. Above the engaging surface 20. the cap I 9 is externally screwthreaded so that this portion of the cap may engage with the internal threads of the housing Ill. The cap l9 can not be removed from the ferrule l3 without causing the cap to be carried upwardly in the housing by continued rotation of the cap.

When the cap I9 is thus carried within the housing I0, Fig. 2, the housing l0 may be rocked to one side by reason of the pivotal connections of the inturned ends of the legs II and I2 with the ferrule l3 whereby the housing Ill and its cap will assume some such positions as indicated in Fig- 3. In this case, the tube-is then free to discharge its contents and at the same time the cap I9 is held available to be re-entered over the ferrule l3 to close off the tube opening.

As indicated in Fig. 7, the cap I9 is permanently screw-threadedly engaged with the housing l0 so that the housing l0 may not be rocked to either side of the cap [9 when the cap is seated on the ferrule I3. In this structure, the cap and housing are each made to be sufficiently long to have the housing receive the cap in its open position and hold it at a sufficient distance above the ferrule it to permit the housing and the cap therein to be rocked to one side for discharge of the tube contents. Any slight misalignment between the two sets of threads-housing and external cap threads, and ferrule and internal cap threadsmay be compensated for by elasticity of the legs H and i2 permitting suflicient shifting between the housing and ferrule. The two sets of threads would have the same pitch and fit, as indicated, rather loosely between the engaging members.

Should it be desired to have the seated cap l9 free of engagement with the housing H] in respect to the cap external threads, it will be noted that when the cap it is seated on the ferrule 13, the housing it) may be rocked to either side of the cap. This means that the housing l5! must be initially rocked to its central upper position to receive the cap 59 when the cap is to be removed from the ferrule It. In order to insure initial alignment which might be overlooked by the operator, a pilot pin 25, Fig. 4, is centrally secured to the cap it to extend upwardly therefrom and loosely through an opening in the housing ii to serve as a guide. In the form herein shown, this pin 2! constitutes an integral part of the cap l9 and is of sufficient length to permit the seating of the cap it and still have an upper portion of the pin 25 entered in the bore through the top of the housing If) so as to prevent rocking of the housing it until the cap l9 has been carried upwardly into the housing and removed from engagement with the ferrule l3.

It is to be noted that in the form of Fig. 4 there is sufiicient freedom in the fit of the external threads of the cap l8 with the internal threads of the housing If} as will permit the engagement of the cap therewith before it is entirely removed from engagement with the ferrule threads so that the simultaneous engagement of the two sets of threads will not cause binding of the cap 1;). Accuracy of fit in the two sets of threads is not required. The principal requirement is that the cap may be so engaged as to cause its elevation within the housing If upon lifting from the ferrule l3.

Referring to the modified form illustrated in Fig. 6, this form would be used either with or without the pilot pin 2 l. When used without the 4 pin as illustrated, the upper end of the cap is made conical so that when the housing is rocked to its central position over the cap, the housing will be held between the operators thumb and fingers to have the thumb and fingers extend on beyond to grip the modified form cap 25 to loosen the cap and turn it about the ferrule 53 and thereby cause the cap to advance into the housing. The conical upper cap end will enter the housing and center it over the cap as the cap advances therein, so that the conical end serves as a centering pilot. The housing may be lengthened to receive this modified cap 26 and be conically shaped itself at the upper end.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one best form as now known to me, it is obvious that structural changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. For a collapsible tube having an outlet nipple, a ferrule for entering over and engaging the nipple, a housing, legs carrying the housing and hingedly connected with the ferrule to space the housing beyond the outer end of the ferrule, said housing being open at its inner end and being screw-threaded, a closure member screwthreadedly engageable with said ferrule to close off the entrance to the ferrule, and screw-threads carried by said member engaging with the threads of said housing for carrying the member into the housing.

2. For a collapsible tube having an outlet nipple, a ferrule for entering over and engaging the nipple, a housing, legs carrying the housing and hingedly connected with the ferrule to space the housing beyond the outer end of the ferrule, said housing being open at its inner end and being screw-threaded, a closure member screw-threadedly engageable with said ferrule to close off the entrance to the ferrule, and screw-threads carried by said member engaging threads of said housing for carrying the member into the housing, said legs spacing said inner housing end from said outer ferrule end that distance as will permit clearance of said memher over said ferrule when the member is retracted on the housing threads following disengagement of the member threads from the ferrule threads.

3. For a collapsible tube having an outlet nipwith the ple, a ferrule for entering over and engaging the 5 nipple, a housing, legs carrying the housing and hingedly connected with the ferrule to space the housing beyond the outer end of the ferrule, said housing being open at its inner end and being screw-threaded, a closure member screw thrcadedly engageable with said ferrule to close off the entrance to the ferrule, and screw-threads carried by said member engaging with the threads of said housing for carrying the member into the housing, and pilot means centering said member in said housing.

4. For a collapsible tube having an outlet nipple, a ferrule for entering over and engaging the nipple, a housing, legs carrying the housing and hingedly connected with the ferrule to space the housing beyond the outer end of the ferrule, said housing being open at its inner end and being screw-threaded, a closure member screwthreadedly engageable with said ferrule to close off the entrance to the ferrule, and screw-threads carried by said member engaging with the threads of said housing for carrying the member into the housing, and pilot means centering said member in said housing, said pilot means retaining said housing in its central posit-ion ot alignment with said member when the member seated on said ferrule.

5. For a collapsible tube having an outlet nipple, a ferrule for entering over and engaging the nipple, a housing, legs carrying the housing and hingedly connected with the ferrule to space the housing beyond the outer end of the ferrule, said housing being open at its inner end and being screw-threaded, a closure member screw-threadedly engageable with said ferrule to close off the of a member portion extending from the member and rotatably guided by the housing.

6. For a collapsible tube having an outlet nipple, a ferrule for entering over and engaging the nipple, a housing, legs carrying the housing and hingedly connected with the ferrule to space the housing beyond the outer end of the ferrule, said housing being open at its inner end and being screw-threaded, a closure member screwthreadedly engageable with said ferrule to close off the entrance to the ferrule, and screw-threads carried by said member engaging with the threads of said housing for carrying the member into the housing, and pilot means centering said member in said housing consisting of an elongated portion of said member carrying said cap housing threads thereover.

7. For a collapsible tube having anoutlet nipple, a ferrule for entering over and engaging the nipple, a housing, legs carrying the housing and hingedly connected with the ferrule to space the housing beyond the outer end of the ferrule, said housing being open at its inner end and being screw-threaded, a closure member screw-threadedly engageable with said ferrule to close off the entrance to the ferrule, and screw-threads carried by said member engaging with the threads of said housing for carrying the member into the housing, and pilot means centering said member in said housing, said means consisting of a member portion extending from the member and rotatably guided by the housing, comprising a pin extending through a bore in the housing.

8. For a collapsible tube having an outlet nipple, a ferrule for entering over and engaging the nipple, a housing, legs carrying the housing and hingedly connected with the ferrule to space the housing beyond the outer end of the ferrule, said housing being open at its inner end and being screw-threaded, a closure member screw-threadedly engageable with said ferrule to close off the entrance to the ferrule, and screw-threads carried by said member engaging with the threads of said housing for carrying the member into the housing, and pilot means centering said mem ber in said housing, said means consisting of a member portion extending from the member and rotatably guided by the housing consisting of a conical upper end on said member.

9. For a collapsible tube having an outlet nipple, a ferrule for entering over and engaging the nipple, a housing, legs carrying the housing and hingedly connected with the ferrule to space the housing beyond the outer end of the ferrule, said housing being open at its inner end and being screw-threaded, a closure member screw-threadedly engageable with said ferrule to close off the entrance to the ferrule, and screw-threads carried by said member engaging with the threads of said housing for carrying the member into the housing, and finger engaging means on said member extending beyond the member housing threads.

10. For a collapsible tube having an outlet nipple, a ferrule for entering over and engaging the nipple, a housing, legs carrying the housing and hingedly connected with the ferrule to space the housing beyond the outer end of the ferrule, said housing being open at its inner end and being screw-threaded, a closure member screwthreadedly engageable with said ferrule to close off the entrance to the ferrule, and screw-threads carried by said member engaging with the threads of said housing for carrying the member into the housing, said member-housing threads remaining in continuous engagement, and said legs and their connections with said ferrule providing sufficient freedom for simultaneous travel of the closure member between its respective housing and ferrule threads.

GEORGE W. SCHUMAKER. 

